India Post suspends bookings of all categories postal service to US in absence of rule clarity

New Delhi: India Post has suspended all categories of mail operations destined to the US in the absence of clarity over new rules issued by the US Customs Department, an official statement said on Sunday.

Earlier, the country's postal department had temporarily suspended postal services for gifts valued above $100 due to the new custom rules issued by the US government.

"In continuation of the Public Notice dated August 22, 2025, the Department of Posts has reviewed the suspension of booking of mail to the United States of America. In view of the ongoing inability of carriers to transport US-bound mail and in the absence of defined regulatory mechanisms, it has been decided to completely suspend the booking of all categories of mail, including letters, documents, and gift items valued up to $100, destined for the USA," the statement said.

The Department of Posts said that it is closely monitoring the situation and making every effort to restore services at the earliest.

"Customers who have already booked items that could not be dispatched may claim a refund of postage," the statement said.

On August 23, the department had said the postal services from India to the US had been temporarily suspended due to denial of carrying shipments by US-bound air carriers due to the lack of clarity in new norms issued by the US Customs Department.

Under an executive order issued by the US administration on July 30, 2025, goods valued above $100 are subject to customs duties in the US with effect from August 29 onwards.

As per the Executive Order, transport carriers delivering shipments through the international postal network, or other "qualified parties" approved by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), are required to collect and remit duties on postal shipments.

While CBP had issued certain guidelines on August 15, several critical processes relating to the designation of "qualified parties" and mechanisms for duty collection and remittance remain undefined.

Consequently, US-bound air carriers expressed their inability to accept postal consignments after August 25 citing lack of operational and technical readiness.

The latest development comes following continued lack of clarification from the US customs department.